Determination

This year I completed my 16th Great Manchester 10k run. Nothing special in that, even at age 66, so why am I talking about it in this blog?

I started running in January 2005 ahead of my first run in this event in May that year. My aim was to raise money for a local charity in which I was involved at the time. We needed a new lift for the care home to allow our disabled residents to move around freely so I decided to run with a sign on my back saying “Give Us A Lift!” 

On the final leg of the run a wheelchair competitor came up behind me and shouted, “Hop on!” I didn’t of course, but I fell in love with the joy and buzz of the event and this particular competitor and crossed the line with the biggest grin on my face.

Later, when the times were posted (you had to wait a few hours back then) I saw my own time for the run was 1 hour and 56 secs. Those 56 seconds immediately had me looking to book for 2006; surely it wouldn’t be too hard to knock 56 seconds off my time and beat the one hour mark. 

I was determined to train harder and longer and when 2006 came around I was ready! And the result? I ran the course in 52 minutes and 32 seconds; more than 8 minutes faster! So now the question was could I run even faster, perhaps break the magic 50 minute mark?

Perhaps by now you can see how the determination starts to build. In my case a desire to do better each time; to push myself and achieve a new and higher goal. And perhaps without the regular event in my calendar I wouldn’t have had the same focus. So what happened?

• 2007 - 51 mins 07 secs

• 2008 - 50 mins 17 secs

• 2009 - 50 mins 24 secs

Dammit! Why wasn’t it working? I could get close but not close enough. And then in September 2009 I join a trip to climb Kilimanjaro - another object lesson in determination and bloody-mindedness. And with the benefit of trekking at high altitude I had a new advantage in the gym - I could train longer and harder. Finally in May 2010, at the tender age of 52, I achieved my personal best of 47 minutes and 3 seconds!

At that stage I almost stopped but I recognised that simply crossing the finish line each year was just as important as the time; that showing up and doing my best was what really counted. Each time I compete it still requires determination but this year it demanded a little extra.

This year a few months before the run I damaged my left knee playing badminton and was unable to run for almost 2 months before spending a further month overseas. By the time last Sunday’s race came around I had been back for 4 days with no training for over 3 months. The sensible thing was to skip the 2024 run and refocus for 2025 but I have learned that determination is a powerful internal force and took to the streets of Manchester once again. 

To my astonishment my body ran well for the first 5k but I must admit that it was only determination to cross the line that dragged my round the second half of the course to finish in 58 minutes and 34 seconds - still inside my first ever time from 19 years ago!

And the lesson? Your thoughts and your determination are your most powerful source of energy - harness them well.